This disclosure relates to the field of data center architecture. More particularly, a flexible and modular chassis (e.g., a virtual chassis) is provided for installing electronic equipment in a rack.
In a typical data center, installation of a new rack of electronic equipment (e.g., computer servers, storage nodes, communication devices) involves identifying a desired configuration—such as how many servers, how many network switches, and so on—ahead of time, so that the entire rack can be assembled, then delivered to the data center, and finally installed.
One reason for this type of approach to populating a data center is that many rack systems are vendor-specific. In other words, most or all of the equipment to be installed in the rack is obtained from a single vendor, and the rack is configured in a proprietary manner so that it is compatible with the vendor's equipment, in terms of equipment dimensions, spacing between equipment items, the manner of attaching items to the rack, location and configuration of power and data cables, etc. A rack that has been or will be configured to accept one vendor's equipment may not be able to accept, or may not easily accept, equipment from another vendor. Limiting the contents of a given rack to what is offered by a single vendor limits flexibility and may require installation of another rack in order to contain equipment obtained from another vendor, even if the given rack is not full.
Furthermore, addition of an equipment item in a rack entails multiple separate actions, such as putting the item in place and/or affixing it to the rack, threading a data cable through existing cabling and connecting the item to a data device, and connecting a power cable to the item and to a power source. Each item installed in the rack must be separately attended to in terms of data, power, and/or any other required services, and those services cannot be fully connected ahead of time. Thus, replacement of one item (e.g., due to failure) involves several disconnections (e.g., of data and power links) and then corresponding reconnections.